


Optimal Setting

by wednesday



Category: The Chronicles of Riddick Series
Genre: Extra Treat, Gen, Spaceships, Stranded, Trick or Treat: Trick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-26 02:47:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12547092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wednesday/pseuds/wednesday
Summary: “The acid lakes are not optimal,” Vaako said and scrolled down the planet classification chart on his datapad. “The atmosphere is non-toxic for humanoids and the oxygen count is high enough that we won’t need respiration filters.”He heard the seventh Lord Marshall grumble “Oh, notoptimal,” and pretended not to, for the sake of his own sanity.





	Optimal Setting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [araydre](https://archiveofourown.org/users/araydre/gifts).



“The acid lakes are not optimal,” Vaako said and scrolled down the planet classification chart on his datapad. “The atmosphere is non-toxic for humanoids and the oxygen count is high enough that we won’t need respiration filters.”

He heard the seventh Lord Marshall grumble “Oh, not _optimal_ ,” and pretended not to, for the sake of his own sanity.

“There are no detailed geographical maps, as ND73-9 hasn’t been colonized by anyone, but the initial atmospheric scans give an adequate outline. Based on that and the magnetic anomaly that disabled the ship’s systems, we’re somewhere in this area,” he said and enlarged the rough map to better show the highlighted area near one of the planet’s poles.

Riddick glanced at it and went back to checking the ship’s console readings. Vaako was for the first time not quite opposed to having a common breeder, not even a convert, as a Lord Marshall, because surely none of the previous Lords could have repaired their own ship and neither could Vaako. There were engineers along specifically for this eventuality, but, well. He had to step over the body of one of them to get to the medical supplies locker and over the bodies of both pilots to reach the main console.

“Flight systems are all down for good,” Riddick said just as Vaako stepped closer. “The distress beacon could be activated if I reroute into the closed system core, but I don’t know, are we going to be blasted from outer atmosphere, if I do?” Riddick asked with a smirk and a shining glance to Vaako.

“Hopefully,” Vaako said as tonelessly as he could manage, “not.” It seemed like he’d timed the pause just right to cast the greatest possible amount of doubt on whether the _not_ was genuine. Once again without moving a muscle, Riddick’s face looked like he was laughing.

It was by now a constant battle where Riddick drove Vaako to the growing urge to resort to a messy, hands on send-off to the Underverse, and Vaako found new ways to be covertly disrespectful to his Lord Marshall. On the whole it seemed to make Riddick like him _better_ , and Vaako could only guess it was because Riddick wanted to be around emotion fuelled savages like the seventh Lord Marshall himself.

Done with the conversation Riddick proceeded to kick open the panel under the console, and Vaako sat down and carefully applied medical sealant on all the scrapes he’d acquired during the crash. The interior of the ship was sterile, but the integrity of the hull was probably compromised and he could already tell they were going to end up stepping out of the ship shortly. He wanted no microscopic alien life forms in his wounds. He looked up at Riddick absently swiping away a stray rivulet of blood to keep it from trickling down into his eye. He very clearly did not share Vaako’s concern.

By the time Vaako was done and had returned to studying the crude map pieced together from low quality initial scouting scans, Riddick had extracted a plastisteel block from under the console, detached the wires connecting it to the ship and was gathering weapons from the dead crew.

“The only place I can connect this into the closed life support power supply is next to the cargo bay,” said Riddick and it seemed to mean something more than the obvious; Riddick didn’t usually narrate anything out loud without a reason.

Vaako looked at him in silence and felt his eyebrow go up in question. Riddick looked back, metallic eyes flashing in the faint emergency lighting, and tilted his head slightly, like he thought he’d been perfectly clear already.

“Half the ship between here and there is fucked up,” he finally elaborated and waved his hand at the flashing diagram of the ship on the console. “We’ll have to go around and access it from the cargo bay.”

Right, the stepping out of the ship was imminent. Vaako got up and put the medical sealant back in the locker. Riddick was apparently done with checking the weapons and started strapping them to his armour. Vaako frowned and scrolled back up the planetary specifications.

“There is no sentient life on this planet. All surface water is grade 3 acid. There’s no need for that amount of weapons.”

Riddick looked at him like Vaako was missing something, and he felt his hand clench unconsciously like it was craving the hilt of a knife.

“No sentient lifeforms, sure. I know how this is going to end up going and I’m taking extra guns this time,” Riddick said and continued sorting through the weapons. Vaako moved closer and Riddick motioned to the massive casing of the emergency beacon. “You can carry the beacon, though,” he said magnanimously with almost a smile, like he was bestowing a favor.

Vaako clenched his jaw uncomfortably hard to stop himself from replying. He had already attempted to murder one Lord Marshall and failed, but surely he could _do better_ the second time.

 

 


End file.
